This application is the national stage of PCT/EP02/10875 filed on Sep. 27, 2002 and also claims Paris Convention priority of DE 101 48 249.3 filed Sep. 28, 2001.
The invention concerns a method for changing the format in a packaging machine, wherein a leaflet folded in a folding apparatus is supplied at a constant speed V1 via a leaflet supply device to a leaflet transport device which is moved at a constant speed V2, wherein the leaflet is received in a holder of the leaflet transport device and supplied in the holder to a folding box transport device, wherein the position of transfer of the leaflet to the holder of the leaflet supply device can be adjusted when the format of the leaflet changes.
The invention also concerns a transfer device in a packaging machine, in particular for carrying out the method, comprising a leaflet supply device for supplying a leaflet, folded in a folding apparatus, with a constant speed V1 to a leaflet transport device which is moved at a constant speed V2 and has at least one holder for receiving the leaflet, wherein the leaflet in the holder can be supplied to a folding box transport device and be inserted into a folding box transported therein, and wherein the position of transfer of the leaflet to the holder of the leaflet transport device can be adjusted when the format of the leaflet changes.
A packaging machine for inserting a product into a folding box is usually referred to as a cartoning machine. Such a cartoning machine has a product transport device, in particular in the form of a circulating chain, which has a plurality of compartments with one product each. A folding box transport device travels parallel to the product supply device, and also has a plurality of compartments with one folding box each which is open on the side. The product supply device and folding box transport device travel, at least in sections, parallel to each other at the same speed such that a product can be inserted laterally by the product supply device into the folding box located on the folding box transport device.
For certain products, one must or would like to also insert a leaflet into the folding box containing e.g. information about the product. This is generally realized in that the leaflet is disposed between the product and the folding box such that the product carries along the leaflet and inserts it into the folding box when introduced into the folding box.
The leaflets are conventionally provided in an unfolded state on a pile and supplied individually from this pile to a folding device, in which the leaflet is folded in the desired manner. The folded leaflet is then received by a leaflet supply device at the output of the folding apparatus, with which it is supplied at a constant speed V1 to a leaflet transport device during the packaging operation of the packaging machine. The leaflet transport device moves at a speed V2 which is constant during the packaging operation of the packaging machine and carries a plurality of tong-like holders. The folded leaflet is transferred to a holder of the leaflet supply device by the leaflet supply device at a predetermined transfer position and is introduced between the product and the folding box. During the packaging operation, the leaflet supply device and the leaflet transport device operate with a constant speed ratio V1/V2, wherein the speed V1 of the leaflet supply device is approximately 2 to 3.5 times the speed V2 of the leaflet transport device.
To reliably ensure that the leaflets are inserted into the folding box, one must ensure that the leaflets are properly transferred by the leaflet supply device to the leaflet transport device i.e. at a predetermined time and at the predetermined transfer position. Towards this end, the transferred leaflet is positioned in the leaflet supply device with high accuracy relative to the tong-like holder of the leaflet transport device which is to receive the leaflet. In particular, during format change i.e. when the packaging machine is changed for products with different dimensions, time-consuming and expensive adjustment is required to adjust the transfer position of the leaflet to the holder of the leaflet transport device and to adjust to the new leaflet format.
In a conventional cartoning machine, the drive motions of the folding apparatus, the leaflet supply device and the leaflet transport device are effected via a common drive shaft, the so-called main drive, using suitable transmissions. However, the time required for folding the leaflets in the folding apparatus depends on the size of the leaflets. Such time differences for leaflets of different sizes are usually compensated for by decelerating or delaying the leaflets during supply by the leaflet supply device to the holder of the leaflet transport device in a suitable fashion or by using different transmissions for the drive motion for the leaflet supply device in dependence on the size of the leaflet to be folded. Both approaches are very demanding and require many adjustment processes to achieve transfer of the leaflet to the holder in a predetermined orientation and to dispose it between the product and the folding box.
It is the underlying purpose of the invention to present a method for format change in a packaging machine which reliably obtains exact positioning of the leaflet relative to the receiving holder even during format change in a simple fashion and also to present a leaflet transfer device for carrying out the method with high precision.